Just wondering …….

[Vallesan]

I’ve been following the posts on these threads for several months now.

 

I’m  ’Just wondering…’ why do so many people, who seem really unhappy with Oceania, in general, continue to ‘bash’ the brand. For what reason?

 

Why don’t they just find another line?

 

End of!

[Harters]

Folk like to complain. Simples.

 

And, maybe, whilst they are critical of Oceania, they havent really found anywhere else that's better. 

 

But I do understand your point. 

[Vallesan]

1 minute ago, Harters said:

Folk like to complain. Simples.

 

And, maybe, whilst they are critical of Oceania, they havent really found anywhere else that's better. 

 

But I do understand your point. 

Maybe you’re right. For me if I go to a restaurant, hotel or go on a cruise, if I don’t like it I don’t ’cry’ on social media I just don’t go again! 

I’m still lost as to why so many  ‘unhappy travellers’ don’t just spend their cash elsewhere!

[daydreamer62]

I've been checking out boards here on CC  for several other lines and the Oceania boards  definitely seem  more negative in tone than the others. I,too was wondering why that is. There are certainly some complaining posts on the other boards here and there but far more helpful info type posts and sharing and 'live' posts but on the Oceania boards the tone seems overwhelmingly negative with the is highlight style post. It's a pity. Especially for those of us yet to sail. 

[Vallesan]

17 minutes ago, daydreamer62 said:

I've been checking out boards here on CC  for several other lines and the Oceania boards  definitely seem  more negative in tone than the others. I,too was wondering why that is. There are certainly some complaining posts on the other boards here and there but far more helpful info type posts and sharing and 'live' posts but on the Oceania boards the tone seems overwhelmingly negative with the is highlight style post. It's a pity. Especially for those of us yet to sail. 

I can only say if you’ve not sailed before…. IGNORE THESE BOARDS!

 

We’ve sailed over 140 days on Oceania, small ships and their larger sisters. We’ve sailed the  Caribbean, Med, Asia and the Greek Islands. We have enjoyed every one of our cruises.

 

I wonder if Oceania passengers have ‘too high ‘ expectations after travelling , sorry to use the phrase,  on “mass market” lines?

 

No, Oceania isn’t perfect, but then no line is, not Slversea nor Seabourn. They are all different and all have different price points. 
 

At the end of the day the cruise you pick matches your preferred itinerary, your budget, your preference to size of ship and your desire for inclusivity. 
 

The choice, as they say, is yours!

 

Edited February 4 by Vallesan

[Vallesan]

20 minutes ago, daydreamer62 said:

I've been checking out boards here on CC  for several other lines and the Oceania boards  definitely seem  more negative in tone than the others. I,too was wondering why that is. There are certainly some complaining posts on the other boards here and there but far more helpful info type posts and sharing and 'live' posts but on the Oceania boards the tone seems overwhelmingly negative with the is highlight style post. It's a pity. Especially for those of us yet to sail. 
 

 

 

Have you sailed with Oceania?

[Harters]

38 minutes ago, daydreamer62 said:

but on the Oceania boards the tone seems overwhelmingly negative

In terms of recentish posts here, I think I can offer a possible explanation. And that's the introduction of Simply More which has not suited a number of established customers who have made unfavourable comparisons between "then" and "now". This will pass with time as "then" fades into the background, and contributions come from cruisers who only know "now".

[daydreamer62]

No not yet. I'm booked to sail from Barcelona to Southampton in June on Insignia. It's a sector of the world cruise that's currently sailing. Interestingly, lots of posts from Vikings 2  world cruises but pretty much silence from Oceanias and the roll call which covers all the segments also went silent after the initial  boarding. I've seen a few posts on Facebook but just the one (thankfully complimentary post) here. 

It's interesting comparing this board to the likes of Vikings board which I assume is the closest match to Oceania. I know that this site like much of social media is where people like to rant and complain and 'strut their stuff 'but why is it so much more negative on this board in particular I wonder. 

[mjfship]

I'm pleased that this issue has been brought up. As a recent newbie to the Oceania board on Cruise Critic and a newcomer to the cruise line, I'm truly surprised by the negative interaction from fellow cruisers and the disappointing reviews about the line. It starkly contrasts the other cruise line I've been loyal to for many years. I hope that the onboard experience and exchange with fellow passengers will be much more enjoyable than what I've seen so far.

[daydreamer62]

1 minute ago, Harters said:

In terms of recentish posts here, I think I can offer a possible explanation. And that's the introduction of Simply More which has not suited a number of established customers who have made unfavourable comparisons between "then" and "now". This will pass with time as "then" fades into the background, and contributions come from cruisers who only know "now".

I guess that could be a part of it. Change is hard for some, but the SM posts are only a part of the negativity. If you read these boards literally you could be forgiven for thinking the food is inedible ( I've read that exact word numerous times) the other passengers are single mindedly rude and selfish. The wines by the glass offered inferior, excursions a waste of time. 

On the other boards there are posts with descriptions of excursions, little complaint about the one or 2 provided wines, (which I know from experience aren't exactly in general gold medal quality either. It just seems like the people on this boards are more positive or more keen to portray the positive. I'm really interested in why that could be. 

[daydreamer62]

7 minutes ago, mjfship said:

I'm pleased that this issue has been brought up. As a recent newbie to the Oceania board on Cruise Critic and a newcomer to the cruise line, I'm truly surprised by the negative interaction from fellow cruisers and the disappointing reviews about the line. It starkly contrasts the other cruise line I've been loyal to for many years. I hope that the onboard experience and exchange with fellow passengers will be much more enjoyable than what I've seen so far.

I do too. 

[Harters]

4 minutes ago, daydreamer62 said:

If you read these boards literally you could be forgiven for thinking the food is inedible

I know more about restaurant reviews than cruise food reviews. But you do raise an interesting point. With restaurants, there seems to be a pattern that the higher up the scale you go, the more tolerant folk are of minor errors. Maybe something along the lines of "I've paid all this money so it must be good", whereas in their neighbourhood bistro they are likely to set off on a rant that the soup wasnt hot  enough. But that's definitely not what's happening here.Now, I will be the first to agree that O's food quality isnt as good as it likes to portray it, but is isnt bad, bearing in mind this is a mass catering enterprise, not the individual care of your local bistro. 

[daydreamer62]

Yes I pay little attention in general individual reviews for restaurants and look more at the global tone of the reviews which is kind of what I'm pointing out here. I'm going to stick with comparing to the Viking board because I imagine it's a similar level in regards to the type of cruise, but I've looked at the Regent boards, Windstar boards and those of the bigger ships too and it seems that this board really stands out in its tone . If you look at the other boards there are quite a few pinned 'helpful' posts at the top. Here, just the one shuttle post(which has been really helpful for me) . Then in those other boards there are one or two complaint type posts on the first few pages but apart from that is av pretty positive helpful tone. I'm not looking for ra-ra cheerleader type posts all the time but some balance would be appreciated. I am feeling a mixture of  dismay that I didn't check here before I booked and hope that the reality isn't as portrayed by tone here. 

[Vallesan]

46 minutes ago, daydreamer62 said:

No not yet. I'm booked to sail from Barcelona to Southampton in June on Insignia. It's a sector of the world cruise that's currently sailing. Interestingly, lots of posts from Vikings 2  world cruises but pretty much silence from Oceanias and the roll call which covers all the segments also went silent after the initial  boarding. I've seen a few posts on Facebook but just the one (thankfully complimentary post) here. 

It's interesting comparing this board to the likes of Vikings board which I assume is the closest match to Oceania. I know that this site like much of social media is where people like to rant and complain and 'strut their stuff 'but why is it so much more negative on this board in particular I wonder. 

I think that was my question! I’ve never had a bad cruise, and certainly never on Oceania. I sometimes wonder if I was on the same cruise as some of the ‘complainers’! Or maybe my standards are just very low!

Edited February 4 by Vallesan

[Vallesan]

6 minutes ago, daydreamer62 said:

Yes I pay little attention in general individual reviews for restaurants and look more at the global tone of the reviews which is kind of what I'm pointing out here. I'm going to stick with comparing to the Viking board because I imagine it's a similar level in regards to the type of cruise, but I've looked at the Regent boards, Windstar boards and those of the bigger ships too and it seems that this board really stands out in its tone . If you look at the other boards there are quite a few pinned 'helpful' posts at the top. Here, just the one shuttle post(which has been really helpful for me) . Then in those other boards there are one or two complaint type posts on the first few pages but apart from that is av pretty positive helpful tone. I'm not looking for ra-ra cheerleader type posts all the time but some balance would be appreciated. I am feeling a mixture of  dismay that I didn't check here before I booked and hope that the reality isn't as portrayed by tone here. 

 
Please don’t be swayed by these boards. They actually are not representative of an Oceania cruise. The one thing to remember above all else, on all these boards, is that people are very quick to criticise but very slow to praise!

[daydreamer62]

Yes I guess positive people attract other positive people and the opposite it probably true. I'm travelling with 2 other couples neither of whom have cruised at all ( my husband and I have but only on Princess once and Viking once) and we are pretty positive people so I'm sure we will have a great time! 

Edited February 4 by daydreamer62

[Vallesan]

Just now, daydreamer62 said:

Yes I guess positive people attract other positive people and the opposite it probably true. I'm travelling with 2 other couples neither of whom have cruised at all ( my girls and I have but only on Princess once and Viking once) and we are pretty positive people so I'm sure we will have a great time! 

I have no doubt! 
 

Ignore the ‘nay sayers’ and make up your own mind. Any trip is only as good as you make it!

[EJL2023]

Just stepped off Sirena this morning.  Once again had a fantastic time and enjoyed it immensely. I won’t focus on the 3 or 4 things out of the thousand experiences that may have been a bit better. It is the overall experience that counts and once again impressed. 

[Redtravel]

Oceania does a nice cruise.  If problems arise, they try to help fix the issues.  I have taken 3 O cruises since the pandemic.  We didn’t get Covid on any of them.  

[su-arizona]

I've sailed on most of the Oceania ships, and it you look back far enough, you'll see lots of good reviews.  Haven't sailed on Oceania since 2022 because we took a horrible Viking cruise (widespread norovirus) land disappointing Windstar cruise in 2023. 

 

You probably see complaints about the food "not being as good" - Oceania cruisers have very high expectations of the food, which is generally far superior to most lines.  You'll see complaints about the service - Oceania cruisers have very high expectations of the service too. My biggest complaints are usually about the distance from port to city shown in the itinerary...but I think most all cruise ships now dock farther out from the itinerary cities,

 

We currently have 2 cruises booked on Oceania in 2024...think that speaks for our opinion.

[Critically Cruising]

2 hours ago, Vallesan said:

I wonder if Oceania passengers have ‘too high ‘ expectations after travelling , sorry to use the phrase,  on “mass market” lines?

 

Perhaps this is due to Oceania over-promoting their product. "Best cuisine at sea" and other luxury pronouncements may be a bit much for a premium-level line.

[AMHuntFerry]

47 minutes ago, daydreamer62 said:

Yes I pay little attention in general individual reviews for restaurants and look more at the global tone of the reviews which is kind of what I'm pointing out here. I'm going to stick with comparing to the Viking board because I imagine it's a similar level in regards to the type of cruise, but I've looked at the Regent boards, Windstar boards and those of the bigger ships too and it seems that this board really stands out in its tone . If you look at the other boards there are quite a few pinned 'helpful' posts at the top. Here, just the one shuttle post(which has been really helpful for me) . Then in those other boards there are one or two complaint type posts on the first few pages but apart from that is av pretty positive helpful tone. I'm not looking for ra-ra cheerleader type posts all the time but some balance would be appreciated. I am feeling a mixture of  dismay that I didn't check here before I booked and hope that the reality isn't as portrayed by tone here. 

Some brands have dedicated moderators as evidenced by pinned topics. As far as I can tell, the O board is only moderated by the generic CC moderators who remove offending posts (and possibly only if reported by users). I don't know who pays for the active-moderators but I'm guessing it is the cruise brands. Also remember that there are paid brand-influencers (both positive "brand cheerleaders" and negative "brand bashers") as well as the unpaid complainers/trolls (the latter can often be ID'd by going and looking at their recent posts). I spent a year or so lurking before joining and posting; personalities of frequent posters are easily identified if observed over time so I know whose info to believe and whose might be suspect. Some of the most crusty posters are also the most reliable, while some of the nicer posters can post inaccurate info. I actually am entertained when one of the chronic-complainers states that they will never sail O again; after the tenth time it brings a giggle.

[daydreamer62]

11 minutes ago, Critically Cruising said:

 

Perhaps this is due to Oceania over-promoting their product. "Best cuisine at sea" and other luxury pronouncements may be a bit much for a premium-level line.

Possibly so, but what I was told, admittedly in a marketing presentation, was that they spend the most per passenger on food. That's not a subjective statement but doesn't make a good tag line! 

My main issue is that it's sad that this board probably  puts more prospective passengers off trying Oceania. Had I read here before booking I probably would have thought much harder (though I booked primarily for the itinerary), I have friends who did choose to sail with Azamara with a similar itinerary.. they read here first.. Not sure if that made a difference with their decision because the Azamara cruise was quite a bit cheaper and had more availability. I hadn't seen that cruise when I booked but reading both boards gives pause for thought. It does have a much more positive tone there and I know there have been major changes with that line .. Anyway I fully intend to have an excellent time and I will post about it after to help others after me

Edited February 4 by daydreamer62

[AMHuntFerry]

6 minutes ago, daydreamer62 said:

Possibly so, but what I was told, admittedly in a marketing presentation, was that they spend the most per passenger on food. That's not a subjective statement but doesn't make a good tag line! 

My main issue is that it's sad that this board probably  puts more prospective passengers off trying Oceania. Had I read here before booking I probably would have thought much harder (though I booked primarily for the itinerary), I have friends who did choose to sail with Azamara with a similar itinerary.. they read here first.. Not sure if that made a difference with their decision because the Azamara cruise was quite a bit cheaper and had more availability. I hadn't seen that cruise when I booked but reading both boards gives pause for thought. It does have a much more positive tone there and I know there have been major changes with that line .. Anyway I fully intend to have an excellent time and I will post about it after to help others after me

Some brands may be more active in managing their CC presence for marketing purposes; I don't believe O is one of those brands (I posted a longer version of this but it has been "flagged for approval before posting", possibly because I used an AI triggering-word).

[CC Help Michell]

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